


Bandages

by ToxicSpeka



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Fluff, M/M, Scars, Slow Burn, They's gay folks, but this isn't a story, they're all not connected there's no plot here folks, this all takes place in the same place really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-01-12 22:51:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18456236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicSpeka/pseuds/ToxicSpeka
Summary: A bunch of shadsoni fics all strewn together after Sonic realized Shadow always takes more damage during failed missions.





	1. Blood and Bandages

Exhausted was a good way to describe the two. After having spent the last hour or two exploring what seemed to be an abandoned base, which was Sonic's bright idea, the hedgehogs had ran into Eggman as he was shipping supplies out of the old base an into his newest one. They fought nearly endless waves of leftover badniks, struggled to escape traps and puzzles so intense that Eggman himself explained was the main reason why he was leaving as it was tedious to solve them every day, and barely scraping past causing an explosion, they were left bruised and beaten with no real win for them other than leaving with their heads.

They were now in Shadow's house, being more of a large flat than anything else, and in his bedroom. Sonic had spent all about five minutes wandering around and getting scolded at (but not listening) when he touched something that was hands off before getting bored and flopping down on his made bed, ruining the sheets and sleeping nearly as soon as his head touched the pillow. It took Shadow tugging the sheets off the bed for the hedgehog to get up and remember why they were there in the first place.

"Who knew your place was so big!" Sonic marveled again, glancing back at the ebony hedgehog as he tossed a box of something onto the bed. "What's your rent even like?"

"I don't know," Shadow replied. "GUN pays me well for what I do, so I don't pay for wherever I live for the time." blood dripped onto the floor in a slowly growing puddle.

"For the time?" Sonic once again flopped backwards onto the bed, but luckily was wide awake. Shadow wasn't entirely sure if a wide awake Sonic was better or worse than Sonic that was dead asleep.

"I move every few months or so. I don't like to keep put, and the less people that know where I live, the better." he answered, sitting down with no care for where Sonic's head was at the moment. The blue hedgehog did not move but turned his head, bruised cheek resting against tense muscles of Shadow's outer thigh.

"Not even me? I have to call you or Rouge every time I want to find you, but most of the time I just find out outside, asleep in trees or on roofs." He shrugged. Shadow shrugged, too.

"I'm used to being secluded, and Rouge is used to locking me outside my house when she needs me to be social." he finished, not keen on continuing the conversation. He coughed a bit roughly and wiped blood from his nose.

Sonic nodded a little lately and sat up, turning around so he now faced the ebony hedgehog's back.

His back was scarred with many burn marks from when he knocked the blue blur back from a rogue, aflame badnik that exploded right before it could cause an every bigger flame. He admired the singed fur and the dark red exposed wounds underneath. Shadow sure was strong to not complain about these.

Slowly, Sonic reached for the open medkit and pulled out a cream for burns, looking over his own red, swollen knuckles and fingers. Shadow had yet to turn or even say anything else, and Sonic could have sworn he saw him look over when he grabbed it, so he sucked in a short breath and laid a thin swipe of the cream over Shadow's back. Right away, the alien shuddered and straightened his spine.

"Sonic!" he yelped, turning around with his brows furrowed and ears pinned back. "What are you doing?"

"Helping ya out...?" The blue hedgehog squeaked, a bit taken aback from how abruptly Shadow tried to end his help.

The agent seemed to pause for about a single second too long then turned away, whispering "carry on, but warn me next time" as if he wasn't about to tear off the hero's head.

But, Sonic smiled and nodded. Shadow had realized he couldn't exactly do what Sonic wished to himself, being as the burn laid on his back smack dab in the middle right between his quills, and allowed him to help! So, that was a plus in his book.

"Alright, it's still gonna be cold and you'll feel a little numb back here." he warned, and Shadow's arms lowered from whatever he was doing, letting himself relax enough to push his back out for the other to apply the cream.

"Used to it by now, Sonic." Shadow sighed.

Sonic smiled a bit to himself as he slathered the cream on, not using too much and not too little either. Shadow's back, as expected, was covered in super small and superfine quills that went in one direction and faded as he went lower towards his tail, but touching another hedgehog's back, a male at that, was a bit surprising.

A small, cute idea made its way to the front of his brain and Sonic grinned, switching his entire hand for just his finger and tracing a letter onto Shadow's back.

"I don't think that's how it works," Shadow warned, a bit of a bark in his words as his already tensed muscles braced for another attack, but Sonic only giggled and drew another letter. "Are you spelling something?"

Sonic nodded, but Shadow didn't see, so he said it out loud "Yeh," he chuckled "You'll never guess what it says!"

"Let me guess, are you spelling 'Sonic?'" Shadow answered a bit bluntly, and based on how Sonic's 'N' seemed to end as fast as it started, he was correct.

"No," Sonic pouted, fixed the other's fur, then wiped off his hands. "Anyway I'm done with your back."

The agent merely grunted a thanks and carried on with his own injuries.

Sonic didn't have much to tend for; a few scrapes, cuts, scratches, the many bruises, the burns to hand around, and of course his sore feet from standing in one place too long while trying to solve a puzzle were all his problems, so he simply washed and rubbed them down alcohol then wrapped them up.

As he admired his arms for their new bandaged look, a sharp, quiet gasp made him turn his head.

Shadow was picking at some skin on his chest that had become flayed, touching the sore spot with a single finger and wincing the entire time. He couldn't see it because it was so far up, but the thin yet deep cut still looked painful.

"Need help?" Sonic offered, but Shadow turned him down, pulling a thin shard of glass from his chest and setting it on the table.

"I'm fine, thank you." He looked over his shoulder, and seeing Sonic so overly wrapped that he looked like a mummy amused him a bit. The glass had probably come from the time where he had gotten frustrated and busted through a glass pane that, in reality, was simply there and not hindering them whatsoever. He half told Sonic that he should recheck his bandages while he dealt with his bigger wounds.

Such bigger wounds Sonic found out about right away.

Shadow hissed and slapped Sonic's hand away from his arm. "I can care for myself." he frowned, eying the large laceration traveling up his forearm to stop just a few inches from his elbow. He had to get it from falling into a surprise spike trap, and had he had his emerald with him he would have been able to save himself, but noo. Sonic said he didn't need it, they were just exploring! The icing on the cake was Sonic falling in right after him and landed on him instead so he could jump out and save himself. The prick.

"I caused it, so let me help you!" Sonic shot right back, snatching up the bottle Shadow was just about to use on himself. The wound was still bleeding, so deep he could see things he didn't want to see ever in his life, but Sonic wasn't very bothered.

"Why should you? I'll heal a few days, you won't. Care about yourself." Shadow huffed, but did nothing else to stop the blue hedgehog from helping him.

"Well, I heal kinda fast too. Just... helping you along, y'know." Sonic trailed off staring at the wounds Shadow had already fixed or covered up. He even had a patch on his head, why he wasn't sure, but suddenly realizing how much Shadow saved him was a punch to the gut.

"You really are strong," he whispered, realizing he was done with Shadow's arm and basically putting it in a cast now with how thick he laid the bandaged. Shadow simply took it from him and unwound it to a good enough length and cut it. "How did I not notice these?"

"As I said, I heal fast." he said mysteriously, again stiffening up when he touched a sore spot again. This time, Sonic helped by rubbing something onto the area but Shadow didn't argue for once.

Shadow, in turn, took down Sonic's more stylish bandages to make them more proper. The hero hid his frown at the action and merely let Shadow work, as he clearly has had practice in doing this. Too much he might add, but then again saving the world wasn't always the easiest job, and someone was bound to get hurt. Better them than some civilian he'd always say. His eyes instead, focused on how clunky Shadow was moving.

"You're really stiff, too."

"Wouldn't anybody be with you around?" The agent half heartedly joked, closing his eyes and kicking his shoes off finally. "I'm going to rest now, you can see yourself out."

Sonic didn't move as Shadow fixed the medical box and set it on the bedside table, right next to the large shard of glass he pulled from his body. The agent lifted the covers, laid, but didn't lay them back over his body mainly because Sonic was still on top and it was such a pain to get him off in the first place.

Finally, when he was sure Shadow was comfy, he got up and laid right next to him, back to back. He felt the tense hedgehog slowly begin to relax.

"Are you really going to sleep in my bed?"

"Yep. Gonna stop me?"

Shadow did not answer, so Sonic took that as a no. What he didn't figure out until two conversations later was that Shadow had long fell asleep.

"Shad," he tried, again, this time getting a response of a grunt. "I'm sorry for getting you so hurt today. I really didn't think that would happen. Are you mad at me?"

"Sonic..." Shadow groaned "I'm not mad, it's alright. I'm just tired, okay? Please sleep."

"Yeh." Sonic rolled onto his opposite side to hug Shadow, the hug lasting a bit longer than a few seconds, lasting all the way til the morning light.


	2. Showers and Massages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set a few weeks after the first chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Different formatting bc the first chapter was originally on ffnet oof

“Boy aint this a sight for sore eyes,” Sonic whistled, collapsing backwards onto Shadow's couch much to the loud groan he got for it.

  “At least dry yourself off.”

  “It's leather! Water will rolly right off.” Sonic went to turn to stand up, but stopped and hissed when he stretched out his raw burns. “Ow, come on, have pity.”

  Shadow rolled his eyes. “I do have pity, it's not my fault you decided a _metal_ _locker_ was the smartest place to hide during electrical surge.”

  “It was either that or on top if a table.”

  “The table was wooden, you would have been entirely fine.” Shadow's hands shook as he pushed on Sonic's shoulder, forcing him to lay back down. “I'll get the first aid.”

  Sonic blinked up at him as Shadow wandered off, movements stiff yet quick, and he felt bad.

  While he had gotten one massive shock from climbing into the locker to begin with, it closed and locked behind him while the water rose. Shadow had to wade through the water to get him out  _ and _ stop whatever was causing the shocks in the first place. His muscles were probably never going to be the same…

  He could pay him back, that was an option. Give him a back massage as thanks!

  Sonic sat up and rest his head on the back of the couch, staring down the hallway towards Shadow's bedroom. The door wasn't open, so he wasn't in there. And, it was taking him a long time to find the first aid. Way too long.

  “Your back, right?” Shadow’s voice brought him back from his thoughts and he nodded.

  “Yeah.” Sonic stood this time, nodding towards Shadow's room. “Won't it be easier on the bed?”

  “...I'm not injured, and I can bandage your back right here and send you off.”

  “I mean, I still gotta shower, and-- actually, wait, was that where you were? The shower?”

  Shadow shrugged for an answer and shuffled to his bedroom, visibly exhausted. “Bathroom is down the hall, to the left.” he set the kit down on the bedside table and collapsed on the bed, face down.

  Sonic snickered but went off to the bathroom, where he struggled with simply turning the shower on.

  Shadow sighed deeply and crawled up the bed, grabbing onto the nearest pillow and snuggling into it. His back hurt. His arms hurt. His legs hurt. His stomach hurt. His chest hurt.

  Everything was so sore and so tense that even breathing became a chore. He wasn't even sure how Sonic managed to fair better than him, but that was just like the hedgehog, always getting the long end of the stick. He envied him sometimes, walking away from almost everything essentially unscathed.

  Other than when it comes to water, saving Sonic was fruitless.

  He wasn't needed on those missions. They always went wrong anyway from Sonic either bickering with him too loud or getting fed up with him not wanting to rush forward through it all.

  This wasn't even a mission! It was simply a meeting at a new factory that fancied building robots, which turns out were only good at self destruction thanks to Eggman not liking anyone else making robots while he was around. While everyone else managed to escape just fine, Sonic managed to get swept into a staff break room from a broken cooling system and Shadow was forced to half wade half swim around to find him just by the call of his voice over the rushing water.

  Shadow felt pressure at the side of the bed and frowned. “Done with your shower?”

  “Yep. Turns out my burn isn't that bad,” Sonic touched Shadow's back, acutely aware of his flinch that the other tried to hide. His fur was still a big damp from his shower.  “Doesn't need to be touched up or anything.”

  “I see.” Shadow didn't continue at first, letting himself lie there while Sonic ran circles on his back. He felt strangely calm at the action now, but didnt want to bring up that he liked the contact. His quills raised a bit and Shadow pushed his muzzle further into the pillow, closing his eyes once again to enjoy Sonic's petting.

  “Shads?”

  “Yes?”

  Sonic sat down, his hand moving up to Shadow's shoulder swiftly. He was glad that other had said anything on it, now to just keep him talking so he could get away with his dumb plan.

  “Why don't you ever say anything?”

  The question came suddenly and Shadow's quills tensed, but before he could stand, Sonic continued.

  “I mean, when you're angry, or when you get hurt. You lash out sometimes but whenever you get really mad, but this is the second time now that you got really hurt and didn't tell me about it.” he pushed on Shadow's shoulder with his thumb, wondering if it was possible that the hedgehog could have rocks under his skin.

  “...I didn't get hurt this time. At least, not severely. I can rest and--”

  “That's not answering my question, Shadow.” he cut him off, crawling up slowly so he was kneeling on the bed now. “Like last time, you didn't tell me anything about that glass in your chest until you were pulling it out.”

  Shadow groaned. “That? I didn't know it was there until I touched my chest.” he shifted some so he could set the pillow under his chin and pull his arms down to his sides, looking at Sonic from the corner of his eye. “I'm… used to getting more scars, I suppose.”

  Sonic placed a second hand on Shadow's back. He felt warm. “I don't want you to be! I can take a hit too, you know.”

  “You don't have to trick me, you know, you can just say what you want to do.”

  “Don't-- don't change the subject!” Sonic gave up trying to be sneaky with a embarrassed huff, climbing onto Shadow's back to rub over his neck. Really, was this dude made out of steel plating or something? “Speak up if you're ever uncomfortable.”

  “I am uncomfortable.”

  Sonic froze, pulling back and sitting up until he wasn't touching Shadow anymore. “Are you?”

  “No.” Shadow rolled over swiftly, catching Sonic's hands and lacing their fingers together. “Just testing you. While I appreciate the massage, now just isn't the right time.”

  Sonic stared down at Shadow, unable to come up with anything to say other than a very un-manly squeak of ‘okay.’

  Shadow tilted his head, then close his eyes and let go, folding his arms behind his head against the pillow. “I'm going to sleep, Sonic. Leave if you wish.”

  He knew he wasn't. They both knew. Sonic laid next to Shadow, ignoring the itch of his burn that actually  _ was _ more serious than previously thought, and turned to face away. There was a loud pause in the room, full of awkward silence. Sonic wasn't tired yet, but from Shadow's even breath, it was clear Shadow was close to sleeping.

  Carefully, Sonic rolled over and looked at him. Still in the very same position he took minutes ago, ear closest to his arm flicking every few seconds before settling folded in an awkward position. 

  It looked oddly cute, and Sonic huffed. He knew better. “I wanna hug you and go to sleep.”

  Shadow cracked open an eye and shrugged a shoulder. “I'm not going to stop you.”

  Sonic quietly grumbled something but wrapped his arm over Shadow's torso anyway, pressing his head up against his side to try to find a comfortable position. It didn't take long for Shadow to move his arm to lay over his shoulders lazily.

  He was too afraid of saying anything and ruining the quiet moment, and they both were too comfy to do anything about it, so they remained silent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting gay with it  
> Also to add i am so touched starved


	3. Shedding

  The next time Sonic entered Shadow’ house, it was purely on a whim and Shadow didn't so much as blink as the blue hedgehog walked in.

  “I almost forgot you had a key.” Shadow greeted, taking a slow step back and to the side just as Sonic quickly approached.

  “Yep! I almost never lose keys, somehow.” Sonic tossed himself over the couch, spilling off it and tumbling to the ground, slightly pinned in an awkward position between the couch and coffee table with a yelp.

  Shadow snorted a bit, tempted to take a picture of the ridiculous image of Sonic nearly folded directly in half with his head inches from his knees, but decided against it and reached down, grabbing his shoulders and beginning to lift. As he did, Sonic swiftly reached up, grabbing his upper arms to somewhat help himself back up. When they let go, Sonic let go of a breath he was forced to hold and laid his head on the back of the couch. The leather felt cool against his fur.

  He felt Shadow's hands pull away from his shoulders and sourly missed the contact.

  “Pfft, sorry about that.” He had been acting a bit different lately around him. A bit more carefree. A bit more lax. Hell, just a second ago, Shadow almost laughed.

  “If anything, I would be the one apologising.”

  “Why?” Sonic opened his eyes, flinching at how close the other was, then squinted. Something was off about Shadow. “What's wrong with you?”

  Shadow stood up and ran his hand along his side, then pulled his fist away and opened it, letting loose a clump of black fur to float to the floor. He wasn't wearing gloves.

  “You're shedding?”

  “Unfortunately.” he gestured to the coffee table Sonic had rudely introduced himself to, where a few wire brushes sat, each clogged with black, grey, and red fur. There was a trash bin sat next to it that looked as if it had recently been emptied seconds before the other arrived.

  “Weird, you shed as much as Tails.”

  Shadow shrugged, vaulting over the back of the couch to plop down next to Sonic. Seeing him do something unnecessary-- just for  _ fun _ , was something he still had to get used to. “I have somewhat the same amount of fur as him. At least, I have two layers of fur. According to others I am ‘very soft to hug’.”

  Just as that sentence ended, Sonic wrapped his arms around Shadow's torso and hugged him tightly. He was so warm and…  _ solid _ . Shadow was a big hunk of hedgehog, and gently, he pressed a bit closer. He was still a bit soft to the touch, though… but, something else was bothering him. “Yeah, I'd say that checks out.”

  A quiet huff and a pat on the head was all he earned for the action, which in itself was fine, but the concern he had was still there. Sonic picked up one of the more full brushes and pulled loose fur from it, holding the chunk of it with an indescribable emotion.

  “That's… uncomfortable to see.”

  “What?” Sonic tossed the fur out, “Me holding your fur? Sorry, I'm just kinda confused. I thought it wasn't healthy to brush your fur out, and that you're supposed to shed naturally.”

  Shadow opened his mouth, mid stroke of yanking dead fur from his chest fluff, then sighed. “I have a feeling Tails very much dislikes you around this time.”

  “Yeah, he does! How'd you know?” 

  Shadow chuckled airly, shaking his head. “Call it a wild guess. How do you deal with all the fur, then?”

  “I kinda don't.” He shrugged with a large stretch, where Shadow frowned at the blue fur just flying off him and onto his couch. He was just glad he had hardwood flood and leather couches. If Sonic had shed blue fur across every inch of his house, he would have a fit. “I go about every day I would normally, just stopping to scratch my back or something.”

  Sonic turned to him with his newly cleaned brush, eying Shadow's back. The fur between the quills on his back was always a terrible spot for him, so it would be just as awful on Shadow, right? Just as he started brushing Shadow's back, the wires just barely making contact with his shoulder, Sonic pulled the brush back and hummed. “Have you ever had help brushing your fur out? And, uh… can I help you brush out your fur?”

  Shadow waved, short answer for yes, then shook his head in reference to the first question. He pat his chest fluff flat before brushing it again, this time in the opposite direction. “No. Rouge doesn't like sweeping up any missed fur, and I’ve clogged plenty of vacuums to know that won’t work.”

  A pause. Sonic started brushing his back without asking, but Shadow took the action in stride. “I mean… Maria? Has she ever helped you?”

  Shadow hummed. He didn't seem sad, and didn't even flinch when recalling the memory. He merely stopped, looking up at the ceiling for a second. “No, again. She tried once or twice, but I was the only creature on ARK that could possibly be leaving so much black fur, so I was always put through this,” he held his hands in front of him, trying to mime. “The best way to describe it is ‘carwash, but for hedgehogs’. I was put into a rough showering system with high powered hoses and was told to scrub myself with these rubber gloves to get all traces of shed fur off.”

  “Ow!” Sonic had stopped, staring him down in disbelief while Shadow not picked the fur from his brush again. How many welts did he get from just the hoses alone? And wouldn't the rubber rip out more fur than just dead fur? “Why was that the only option??”

  “Dandruff. In case Maria's system couldn't handle any pet dandruff or if she accidentally inhaled my shed fur, or if any got in her eyes… anything, really. I sometimes didn't understand why I was created with  _ fur _ if my  _ fur _ would be the main issue for her.” Shadow immediately dismissed any thought of what he would look like without fur in favour of speaking again. “Aren't you shedding, though?”

  Sonic shrugged. He simply finished the side of Shadow closest to him, plucked the fur from the brush, then turned the brush on himself and pulled it away. It was loaded with blue strands. “Oh, guess I am, pffft.” he shook his head and shivered. “Still feels… odd.”

  Instead of asking ‘how can you not know that you're shedding,’ to a hedgehog who sometimes forgot to eat in the morning before heading out, Shadow just pointed the brush to him. “I’ve mostly finished brushing myself, let me return the favour.”

  “As much as I don’t mind you helping me out with anything, I've  _ never _ been brushed before except once with Tails, and both of us hated it. Hard pass.”

  Shadow didn't say anything. He pulled the brush he was holding out back, staring down at it silently for no longer than a second before setting it down and patting his sides and legs. He was fine with being turned down, Sonic just wasn't interested in being brushed, that was fine.

  “...You-- You can uh, brush me if you like? I'm sorry for being harsh back there.” Sonic spoke, voice barely above a whisper. Shadow looked up with a small frown out of concern, shaking his hand of the trash bin ao any loose strands would fall into it. He was pretty clean, then.

  “Why would I do something you're uncomfortable with?”

  “I dunno… I just… didn't want you upset with me for saying no when I just brushed you?” his voice only got quieter with each pause, until Shadow sat up straighter, setting his hand on Sonic's upper arm.

  “I'm not upset.” He closed his eyes. “Now, I've ordered chinese take out. Get the door for me?”

  “No one knoc--.” Just as he spoke, there was a gentle rapping at the door and Sonic glared playfully at him before getting up to answer.

  After a short greeting and ‘thank you’, Sonic swiped the brushes and loose fur from the table and set the bag down. “Why'd you order out? Can't cook?”

  “I can very much cook, and even love doing so. I just don't cook or handle food during the four days I shed so I don't ingest my own fur or make others do the same.” He grabbed a container from the bag, glad he ordered enough for leftovers before hand. The way Sonic was hungrily eyeing the bag just confirmed his thoughts on how much the other was going to eat. “Feel free.”

  “Didn't know you could cook!” his face was stuffed with food well before the words even came out his mouth.

  “Most don't, other than Rouge and Cream.”

  Sonic didn't say anything for a bit, and so neither did Shadow. They simply sat in comfortable semi-silence, the only sound being the quiet television in the background. Until now, it hadn't been heard once. It was playing a rerun of a movie about a white dog. His mind went back to what he said earlier, and Sonic found himself chewing on his fork.

  “It's really okay, Sonic.” Shadow spoke up. “I wouldn't do anything that would make you uncomfortable. If you do not wish to be brushed, I will not brush you. I told you before that I wished to be warned or asked before I'm touched, and you respected that and you're going great. I'll respect your wish to not be brushed, and I will not brush you.”

  Sonic let out a shaky breath. “H… ha, thank… thank you. Um.” he glanced at his scarred plastic fork, pushing around a few bits of orange chicken. “We're really getting comfortable around each other, right?”

  Shadow nodded, picking up something else from the bag of food. He tossed Sonic a fortune cookie as he cracked his own open, eating the cookie and dismissing whatever the slip said. “Is that a bad thing?”

  Sonic opened his cookie, nibbling on the wafer as he read his fortune. ‘Embrace greatness as it awaits you, do not let it slip away again’. “Nah. What's your fortune say?”

  “Oh,” Shadow lifted the slip again, squinting at it for a second. Sonic would have snorted had his mouth not been full of food, knowing full well that Shadow could perfectly read that slip without squinting. “It says ‘Love comes in all sizes, learn how exercise your own’.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gay

**Author's Note:**

> Hell  
> Shadow's blood was gonna be green but i said nah and kept it red tbh


End file.
